Tidal Wave - The Shark And The Blossom
by Lemon Crisis
Summary: One pink haired kunoichi on an undercover mission. One blue Akatsuki on R&R. One bet. Sakura x Kisame. 18 / R-Rated / Mature Themes
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - I do not own Naruto; any and all characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I do however, claim the plot. **

**Ok, ok, the word 'plot' may be stretching reality a little bit. I like to think there is a storyline though ;D. Rating is for later, hotter, chapters.**

He watched her work from the other side of the courtyard garden, her hips swaying naturally under her run-of-the-mill waitress uniform. There were some women who didn't need to emphasise what they had to appear sexy; they just _were_. Sakura was one of those. And the funny thing was, he didn't think she knew quite how attractive she really was. She probably had some idea, sure, like most pretty girls. But she hadn't that easy, commanding confidence that spoke of a woman who knew her true worth. Yet. When she found it she'd be capable of making men fall to their knees with just a look.

Now, the real question was, what was she doing all the way out here? The Minakami Onsen was quite a way from Konoha - it was a quiet, traditional and professionally run establishment. One that didn't usually cater to nins, and when it did, strictly only ones serving as bodyguards for important political guests. It was partly why he'd first picked the place all those years ago for an R&R stint. He'd had to suppress his titanic chakra and pose as a wealthy merchant from a small country to get in, but the deception had been worth it, and he'd been coming here every year since. With a lifestyle as harsh and volatile as a missing-nin's, it was the only indulgence he allowed himself. Having any kind of predictability was a dangerous thing, and Kisame had no doubt that one day this particular habit of his would end up biting him on the ass. But he'd be damned if he wouldn't enjoy it while he could.

He narrowed his eyes at the oblivious kunoichi, was she here for him then? No, it was doubtful. He'd made sure he'd booked last-minute and under the alias he always used. More likely she was here on a different mission. One that required her general identity to be concealed - going by the coloured contacts and hair extensions - but not her actual physical person. He was confident of his own reputation and abilities that he knew she sure as hell wouldn't leave herself in the open if he was the intended target. Unless she was bait. But then, why bother with the disguise? He felt out, very cautiously, for any signs of chakra in the vicinity. Nothing. Not that that meant anything of course; the chances of him doing that just as an enemy used their chakra was infinitesimal. It was an old habit though, and one he was loathe to break.

Well, he decided, if Konoha wanted to pick a fight he was always more than willing to shed some blood, even on R&R. If it turned out that they were after him, he would wait for them to make the first move. If not, then he'd observe and collect information. In the meantime he'd carry on enjoying his leave.

He shifted his weight to lean against one of the vertical beams that supported the veranda roof and watched the restaurant with arms folded. He'd been using the veranda walkway as a shortcut to the baths after checking in, and his eyes had initially slid over the demure little brunette waitress, mildly curious as he hadn't seen her working here before, but as dismissive as he was of most civilians. It wasn't until a bell started ringing at the back of his brain that he paused to take a closer look. The disguise she'd adopted wasn't elaborate, but it was enough that those who didn't know her wouldn't connect the two if they ever saw the real Sakura. But he knew her. The few times they'd crossed paths had burned the feisty kunoichi irreversibly into his brain.

He watched her for a few minutes as she went to and fro between elegantly-set tables then stopped at a cutlery booth, barely twenty metres and some garden shrubbery between them. She looked older since when he'd seen her last, and more confident in herself. She'd filled out nicely too. Very nicely. He shook his head at himself and turned to leave, but just as he did a young male guest entered the restaurant from the bar. The drink he carried sloshing over the edge of the glass to splatter on the hardwood floor as he walked with the deliberate over exaggerated carefulness that only exceptionally drunk people would think could possibly pass as normal. He scanned the room and spotted Sakura, a calculating leer appearing on his face as he made a beeline straight for her. Sakura looked up from her position at the cutlery booth and saw him approaching, but she was hemmed in by tables, her only line of exit the way the man was coming. Kisame saw her pause, her hands stilling on the cloth she was using to polish the cutlery.

The man reached her booth and leaned his drink arm cockily on the edge opposite Sakura, running his free hand down the creased front of his shirt as he eyed her up and down, then slurred, "Princess, give me two minutes and you'll be screaming my name."

Now, Kisame knew he himself wasn't exactly the most tactful or polite person in the universe, but even his eyebrows rose slightly at the man's blunt crudeness. He saw the flash of disgust pass across Sakura's face before she responded tartly, "Honey, I could give you two years and I'd still be mute and bored." Kisame noticed her knuckles whiten as she squeezed the cloth.

The man fortunately had no idea that this was a woman who could shatter every bone in his body and turn him into mush with her bare hands. Kisame almost felt sorry for him. Almost. The man seemed lost for words now; no doubt his drink-addled brain had assured him that his pick up line was a winner, and the apparent failure had baffled him. He stepped back from the booth, swaying uncertainly with a confused look on his face.

A barman came barreling through the double swing doors to the restaurant and hurried over to Sakura. After apologising profusely to her for the behaviour of the customer and relieving him of his drink, he escorted the protesting man firmly by one arm from the restaurant.

Sakura scowled after them, then resumed her cutlery-polishing - albeit a little bit more savagely than before. Kisame watched her work for a few minutes more, before deciding to go have that dip. The customer's remark to Sakura had put images in his brain he really shouldn't dwell on, but he was surprised to find that they were quite difficult to shake. The more distance he put between him and the kunoichi the better.

**Just a short chapter to start off with. I'm not sure how well the pairing is liked (though I LOVE it), so I'm kind of testing the waters here. Feel free to drop a review, and/or PM me.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I do not own Naruto. Nor do I make any money off my fanfics.**

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><p>Sakura sighed and brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face with the back of a soap-sudded hand. She was unused to having long hair; she'd had to dye it, and the chocolate coloured extensions she currently wore pinned in an elaborate style were an unfamiliar and unwelcome weight. Unfortunately, that and the coloured lenses she wore was a necessary disguise.<p>

It was a mid-ranked mission - not particularly dangerous, but it was important politically nonetheless. The Fire Daimyo was having delicate medical treatment for an on-going condition, which had recently taken a turn for the worse. He would shortly be in trade negotiations with the Water Daimyo in neutral territory, and needed a skilled medic-nin with him for his twice-daily treatments - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Unfortunately, due to his paranoid personality, he wanted the nin undercover and had refused all attempts to sway him otherwise, even though having an undercover nin with him would be devastating should it be discovered. It would require a medic nin with exceptional chakra control to pull it off. Thus Sakura was now posing as an employee of the hot springs resort the negotiations were going to be taking place at. She had started work last week, some of each Daimyo's staff would be arriving the day after tomorrow, and the Daimyos themselves wouldn't be arriving for another week. It had seemed prudent to be an 'existing' member of staff rather than arrive at the same time as the Daimyo's staff. It made things more awkward for her, but the Daimyo was adamant that he didn't openly want a medic-nin with him, lest it make him look weak or disadvantaged. In the end, Sakura had only agreed to work undercover purely because of the extra wages. A few weeks of working in the high-end resort would add a very nice chunk to her income.

However even the extra money was not enough in Sakura's mind to have to put up with men like the one she'd encountered in the restaurant. Inner Sakura had been howling for blood and this close to punching him through the doors and back into the bar area where he'd come from. Luckily for him however, she had excellent self-control, and prided herself in prioritising mission success above almost anything else. Even if it meant having to put up with crap like that from guys. One day she'd find a man who would treat her with respect and would have her back. But until IF that day ever came, sharp-eyed opportunists would take one look at her left hand and see her as free game. Or, like the man today, they wouldn't even care if she was taken or not and just harass her anyway.

She sighed again and finished washing the last few plates, stacking them on the drainer and drying her hands. She glanced at the clock on the wall. Ugh, she'd run ten minutes over her shift thinking about that idiot of a man. She paused, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, which she released slowly through her mouth while purging all annoyance. It really wouldn't do her any good to dwell on it. With some semblance of inner calm restored Sakura left the kitchens, nodding to staff members in greeting as she passed them in the corridors of the onsen's main building.

One of the perks of her current position was that the onsen looked after its employees. That meant comfortable on-site accommodation, _and_ access to a staff-only hot spring. It was only a small-ish one, divided in half by a sturdy bamboo screen, but it was more than good enough for an end of day soak. She stopped off in her room briefly to grab her bathing items, then headed out the back door of the staff house, which was pretty much built on top of the employee's designated spring.

Sakura hummed happily to herself as she stripped off her uniform in the little changing room, placing each piece of clothing neatly in the basket provided before wrapping one of the white towels around her slim figure. She turned to the full-length mirror on the opposite wall and studied herself. She'd never thought she'd miss her absurdly coloured hair, but as she pulled the pins from her dyed locks and watched the chocolatey brown tresses fall to her shoulder blades, she realised that she actually _liked_ her natural colour. It made people underestimate her - after all, a nin with pink hair would be difficult to take seriously if the opponent didn't know her. Sakura had always been underestimated, and as annoying as it was, she'd grown to learn to use it to her advantage. She still managed to surprise her colleagues on a regular basis.

Sakura soaked in the spring for a good half an hour before deciding it was probably best that she get out lest the whole of her extremities turn wrinkly. Luckily for her the extensions in her hair had been fused with chakra, not held in with glue - or they would have come unstuck by now after a week of indulgent hot spring dousing. It wasn't everyday she got to go to a high-class onsen, and she was making use of her free time to use the staff facilities to their fullest.

Sakura made her way back to her room, barefoot and dressed in one of the onsen's white guest robes. Her uniform had been dropped off at the laundry room on the way - another perk. All her washing was done for her, and she had several complete uniforms in her wardrobe so she wasn't likely to run out. The only down side to working here was that she was finding it increasingly hard to use up all her free time, even when she was using the staff facilities. There was only so long you could spend in the water, and she couldn't exactly train while undercover. The library in the main house was limited to fiction, which Sakura had never really had time for before. She was tempted to try one of the romances, for pure escapism. Maybe tomorrow she'd visit and pick a book or two.

She sat on the edge of her bed, still clad in the robe, and began brushing out her hair with her eyes closed. It had taken her a few days to get used to having long hair again, but she found the act of brushing the lengths quite soothing. A sudden knock on her door had her nearly jumping out of her skin and she frowned across the room, body tensing. She hadn't heard anyone approaching.

The knock sounded again, harder this time and she got up from the bed, feeling oddly wary. She had no weapons stashed in her room - partly because she couldn't risk anyone finding them, and partly because her fists were her best weapons - so she edged to the door still holding the hairbrush. One of the first things taught at the academy was that _anything_ could be potentially used as a weapon, even something as unassuming as a hairbrush. Her hand reached out to touch the doorknob and she pulled it down, tugging the door open to reveal a very tall, very muscular, and very blue s-rank missing nin.

Sakura skidded backwards, dropping to a defensive crouch, "Kisame." She hissed.

He stepped inside the room, pushing the door shut behind him with the pads of his fingers, eyes never leaving her, "Kunoichi."

It was then that Sakura registered his lack of weapons. Actually, he seemed to be lacking anything nin-like at all. He was in civilian garb; black jeans and a plain black tee, and he looked _good_. The capped sleeves showed off his shoulders and biceps. She blinked at him, "What the hell are you doing here?"

He raised his eyebrows, "I'm on leave." He said shortly, before tilting his head and adding, "I was actually going to ask you the same question, but I've changed my mind."

"Why?" Sakura remained in her defensive crouch. Even with him weaponless, it was obvious to her that she couldn't take Kisame on with any realistic chance of remaining undercover, and her mind whirled trying to come up with a solution that would leave her cover intact for her mission. The longer he talked, the longer she'd have to think.

"I already know why you're here." His eyes dropped to the hairbrush she clutched, then back up. He grinned at her mockingly, "I've been watching you."

_Damn. _

Sakura straightened and stared him straight in the eyes. The next move was his then. She wasn't about to attack him futilely just to get her cover blown.

They stared at each other for several long moments, Kisame seemingly at ease and Sakura tensed, waiting.

Then Kisame spoke again, "I could make you scream, Kunoichi."

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><p><strong>AN: So, hope you enjoyed! Drop a review or PM if you want to. I'm not one of those who demands reviews and never will be, but they make me happy (yes even the flamey ones) :3**

**~ Lemon**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - Hey! Another chapter for you all. It's a semi-overlap of the previous, just to set the plot up a wee bit more before we get to the juicy bits. Please don't shoot me... D: Also, just so you know, there's a poll on my profile page for a Christmas special oneshot featuring Sakura X ?. Drop by and vote for your favourites!**

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><p>Kisame sat in the hot springs, thinking with his eyes hooded. The heat from the pool infused his muscles and he sunk lower until the water lapped over the fins on his shoulders; the tension that seemed to him to be almost permanent eased for a short while.<p>

He hadn't had a woman for what seemed like forever. Paying for sex from cringing prostitutes soon got old. It was rare to come across a woman who was genuinely attracted to him - the total opposite of his ex-partner, Itachi, who had always had an excess of women flinging themselves at him. For once, he'd like to sleep with a woman who wanted it as much as he did. But he'd long ago accepted that a man as odd-looking as he was stood little chance. It was better that way; he couldn't be disappointed.

It didn't stop him thinking though. Seeing Sakura again so unexpectedly had caught him unprepared, and the comment the drunk had made had put images in Kisame's mind that he couldn't shake. Or rather he didn't want to; that waitress uniform had looked damn cute on her. He grinned to himself. Maybe he'd stop by and pay her a visit, see how she was liking the new job. He couldn't ever completely suppress his natural predatory instincts, only control them, and they were urging him towards the little medic-nin. He was attracted to her and therefore probably shouldn't go out of his way to see her as she was technically an enemy, but then there'd always been a bit of a masochist along with the whole lot of sadist in him. Just seeing her from afar was like a drug to his system. He sighed and ran a wet hand through his short hair; the heat from the water was beginning to get to him.

Kisame reluctantly dragged his mind from its dangerous path and onto a safer one; piecing together the kunoichi's mission. He'd overheard the staff talking earlier about two VIP guests arriving at the end of next week, and he was beginning to get an inkling of why Sakura was here. VIPs could only mean one thing - politics. Come to think of it, rumours of a potential trade alliance between the Fire and Water countries had been abundant in recent weeks. And where there were alliances to be made there were daimyō.

Kisame placed his palms on the rocky pool rim and hoisted himself out of the water, scooping up his neatly folded towel to wrap around his waist before heading back into the locker room. He dried himself then changed into a plain black tee and jeans, slipping on simple house slippers then depositing the towel in the linen basket on the way out. He'd never been one for wandering around in robes. His Akatsuki cloak was close as he got and that was the only exception.

Kisame's feet had started taking him towards the staff house before he even realised. He almost turned back, but his confrontational side won out, deciding it would be amusing to suprise the kunoichi and see if she could keep her composure for her mission once she knew he was here. He wasn't too worried about placing himself in serious danger as his booking ended the day before the main parties arrived - plenty of time for him to put a decent amount of distance between them and him. Besides, he knew how these diplomatic meetings went. Daimyō would traditionally leave their respective militaries out of it, only bringing along aides from amongst their civilian staff. Though the fact that the Fire Country had broken this unwritten rule was interesting. Given what he knew of Sakura's skill set and the undercover element of her mission, he figured it was her medical skills that were required, not her strength. That could mean something benign like medical treatment for a member of the Fire country's party, or something more sinister, such as assassination made to look like natural causes. He reached the end of the main house veranda and leaned up against one of the support beams, arms folded. He didn't really care which it was. He was an outsider now and owed no allegiance to any country. It made for some interesting speculation though.

Kisame watched the staff to-ing and fro-ing from the staff house for a few minutes, until he spotted Sakura. Her long dyed hair was down and her bare feet and shapely calves peeped out the bottom of the onsen's complimentary robe. She appeared lost in thought as she made her way back to her room, unaware that a missing-nin was making a note of which door she went through. After she'd disappeared inside, he left it half a minute before casually strolling along the polished wooden walkway that led to the staff house, then treading more carefully once he reached the veranda - no need to let her know he was approaching. Outside her door he paused, then rapped his knuckles on the dark wood. Not hearing any movement, he knocked again a bit harder. A few seconds later the door clicked open and he found himself looking into Sakura's shocked eyes. She skidded backwards across the floor into a defensive crouch, her hand tightening on the hairbrush she held.

"Kisame." she hissed, eyes wary.

He stepped into the room and pushed the door closed behind him with his fingertips before acknowledging her with a gruff, "Kunoichi."

Her eyes flicked down and up again, taking in his attire, "What the hell are you doing here?"

He raised his eyebrows at her, what did she _think_ he was doing at an onsen in civilian clothes and weaponless? "I'm on leave." He tilted his head slightly and studied her, adding, "I was actually going to ask you the same question, but I've changed my mind."

"Why?"

Well wasn't she just full of questions. He could almost hear the cogs whirling in her head as she presumably tried to come up with a plan of action to get rid of him and save her mission.

"I already know why you're here." He said, glancing at her hand with thinly veiled amusement. Was she going to try and kill him with a _hairbrush_? What a way to die. He grinned mockingly at her, "I've been watching you."

Sakura straightened slightly, frowning. She said nothing, just stared at him from the other side of the room, still tensed and ready for combat. He regarded her levelly for a few long moments, then spoke, "I could make you scream, Kunoichi."

He deliberately made it ambiguous - unlike the man in the restaurant - letting her mind take it whichever way it wanted. He felt a surge of satisfaction when she flushed, confusion flickering across her face to be replaced by a new wariness. She'd taken the bait.

He watched as she broke eye contact for a second and fought to get her blush under control. No sarcastic reply was immediately forthcoming, almost as if the simple statement had got her flustered. Surely she couldn't actually be attracted to him, could she? He looked at her and wondered, for the first time in a very long while, how far he could push. He'd initially just stopped by to try and unnerve her, but as he watched her raise her head and open her mouth to reply, a plan to test the boundaries unfolded in his mind.

He grinned inwardly. This was going to be a very interesting R&R. Very interesting indeed.

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><p><strong>AN - Thanks for reading! I love reviews and/or PMs (thank you to those that have done so already - it's appreciated muchly :) Next week's chapter is almost done already, and I'm super excited. The next two weeks after that are sketched out too. As I have a track record of losing momentum I thought it best to get ahead while I can! You guys help keep me going, so thanks :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - **I had such fun writing this chapter (the story itself initially evolved from this one scene I scribbled down a few months ago).

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><p>"I could make you scream, kunoichi."<p>

For a moment Sakura couldn't quite believe what the giant blue man in front of her had just said. Then her brain caught up and processed it. Despite herself, she found herself fighting back a blush as a traitorous coil of heat flared low in her abdomen. But she tipped her head back and regarded him levelly, deliberately choosing to ignore the innuendo, "I am trained against pain, we all are - you know that."

"That wasn't what I meant. You know that." He countered, as a slow, suggestive grin crossed his face.

_Oh Gods._

This was supposed to be where the psychological training a nin received kicked in. When enemy interrogators tried to ply secrets from her young mind and supple body. When she pushed that body past breaking point on behalf of her village.

When enemy nin decided to play _very_ dangerous games.

She silently ran through the main specifics they had taught her like a mantra: shut away her mind; think of nothing, become nothing; detach herself from her physical form; ignore the reactions of her body to any external stimuli - it was only chemicals in the end after all.

Except that the training wasn't quite working like it should.

Despite knowing who he was and who he worked for, Sakura found Kisame attractive. And a little rebellious part of her now wondered what it would be like to _let_ him make her scream. Unfortunately, that attraction was making it extremely difficult to implement the psychological training to any useful level. She cursed inwardly, experiencing for the first time in a long while uncertainty in her ability to remain impassive and infallible in a tricky situation.

Kisame took a step closer over the dark hardwood floor. He'd supressed his monstrous chakra, but his sheer height and physical power was still almost overwhelming as the distance between them shrunk. She refused to retreat - or notice how good his upper body looked in that tight tee - and stood her ground, arms rigid at her sides and the hairbrush in a death grip.

"How about a gamble." His odd eyes were locked on hers, a wicked half smile on his face, "How confident are you in your female training, kunoichi?"

She swallowed, wetting her lips before she replied. "We are trained to endure... situations for the sake of the village. I am as capable in that respect as any other."

"So, you endure. Not enjoy." His tone was interrogative, almost accusatory.

Sakura was unsure where he was going with this particular line of questioning. It seemed irrelevant to her current predicament; namely keeping her cover so she could complete her mission, but she answered anyway, "No; we can enjoy, just not when we have to endure."

Kisame hmmmed, "So if I propose a bet," he began slyly, "You'll have no trouble taking it up, right?"

"What bet?" Alarm bells started ringing in the back of her mind. A wager with a missing-nin could rarely result in anything good, surely.

"That if I can make you scream I get to keep you for the rest of my R&R." He said it so casually, as if he wasn't suggesting a bet that could turn her into his personal slave, and was merely discussing the weather.

Sakura blinked, somehow managing to keep her face neutral despite the sudden rioting emotions within her, "And if you don't?" She was pleased that her voice remained steady.

"I'll leave. With your cover still intact."

Sakura hesitated, weighing up her options. She was a nin from Konoha on a mission. A mission that needed to be completed successfully. The way things were looking, she'd be lucky to manage that at all now. Kisame was an enemy and should not - _could not_ - be trusted.

"What's the matter, kunoichi? Not feeling so confident now?" He took another step, until he was right in front of her. His breath stirred her hair as he leaned in to murmur, "Perhaps you're not sure your training will be enough."

Too late, she saw the trap closing.

For the sake of the mission, her cover could not be compromised. She could probably take him on in a head-to-head fight, but she had no doubt that it would level the resort and a good mile radius again. _Definitely_ not good for her cover. He was offering to keep it, for a price.

She raised her eyes and met his squarely, "How do I know you'll keep your end of the bargain?"

They were so close she could almost feel the rumble of his chest as he spoke.

"You don't."

The answer she expected. And the only answer she would have believed.

"Well, that doesn't exactly fill me with confidence." Sarcasm was a familiar defence that she happily retreated behind, her mind still not quite sure how to handle this... unique situation.

He grinned darkly, "There are better things to be filled with."

Her pulse jumped and she fought to keep her breathing even. She had no sensible answer to that. Nor probably even a coherent one at that particular moment. Best to just keep her mouth shut and say nothing.

Luckily Kisame continued, hiding her lack of sarcastic comeback, "You better believe though, kunoichi, that I _will_ quite happily blow your cover right now. Your choice. I can put a stop to your mission now, or you can take a gamble and put your training to the test." He paused to let that sink in, then added, "You may even enjoy yourself in the process."

"I doubt it." The quick reply was a reflex, honed to slap down those annoying men who linger at bars, filled with liquid confidence and not much else. But even as she said it she knew that it would be a challenge.

Kisame snorted in amusement at her stubborn denial and turned, headed for the door. "Well," he tossed over his shoulder casually, "Your loss. Guess I'd better go send a message to the Water daimyo and let him know there's an undercover nin from the land of Fire running around."

Sakura's mind raced. She was stuck; there was no other way out without revealing her identity and compromising the mission. She bit her bottom lip so hard a bead of blood appeared.

"Wait." Her voice cracked, sounding small.

"Wait." Louder this time.

Kisame paused, his hand resting lightly on the doorknob. But he didn't turn. Just waited.

Sakura took a deep breath, steadied herself. Gods, she didn't really quite believe what she was about to say, but she had to go with the better odds.

"I accept."

He did turn then, though Sakura wished he hadn't. The look in his eyes was purely predatory and it sent ghostly fingertips of fear trailing up her spine. Fear. That wasn't something she felt easily anymore. But it was tinged with something else, something darker, and her toes started to curl involuntarily.

He let out a low laugh, easing up the intensity of his gaze with a sly grin, "I almost thought you were going to let me walk out of this door then. Damn stubborn woman."

She shook her head ruefully. "As much as I'd love to have let you, this mission needs to be successful. If that means choosing between having it definitely end now or having it possibly end tomorrow... Well, I don't really have a choice."

Kisame studied her for a moment, his expression inscrutable.

"When... when will this bet take place?" Sakura barrelled on, unnerved by the look on his face. The reality of what she'd just done was beginning to sink in and she needed to sit down. This was definitely not an A-rank mission anymore. It was infinitely more complicated than that now.

He grinned again, flashing her his razor-sharp teeth, "Tomorrow night." He opened the door and stepped out into the corridor, "Get your sleep tonight, kunoichi. It's the last time you'll be sleeping alone for a while." The door shut behind him and she heard his footsteps recede.

After a moment she released the breath she didn't realise she'd been holding, exhaling shakily before flinging the hairbrush on her pillow and sitting rather heavily on the edge of her bed. She put her elbows on her knees and leaned forward to thread her fingers through her hair and rest her forehead on her palms.

Deep breaths. She could do this.

Just what had she agreed to? The man was pure primal force personified. Surviving a night with him without screaming - for _any_ reason - would quite possibly require more steel than she had. But she had to try. For the sake of the mission.

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><p><strong>AN - **Hope you enjoyed! Don't worry, the lemon is on its way soon. I'm just a huge fan of sexual tension... What? Don't look at me like that. Kisame IS a huge mass of walking sexual tension. And muscles. And hotness. And TEETH.

I'm actually quite surprised I've managed to keep this to weekly updates so far - part of that is the reviews, they motivate me to write! I love hearing from you guys. Tell me what you liked or didn't like! I absorb it all and strive to be a better writer :)

Help me grow!

*Points downwards*


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - **Apologies that this is a week late! I wasn't happy with the original version of this chapter and I've had a lot going on at work these last couple of weeks (not to mention trying to get Christmas sorted), which meant that the tweaking took longer than I wanted.

I do want to thank those that have left reviews so far. I never have, and never will demand reviews before I release chapters, but every review I receive is loved, hoarded and guarded jealously :D. Plus it gives me a kick up the rear if I know people feel strongly enough about my story enough to review it, so thank you!

Also (long author's note is long, sorry), I haven't got as many votes on the Christmas special oneshot as I'd like. It's not a very representative sample so I'm leaving it open for another week in the vain hope of a few more votes. My profile page, right at the top - vote for a Sakura pairing that you'd like to see as a oneshot!

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><p>.s.<p>

The morning passed far too quickly for Sakura's liking. The dawn staff meeting had gone as usual, until her boss had kept her back while the others left to go about their morning duties. He sat her down in his private office and informed her that a certain loyal customer at the onsen had paid for her time this evening, and had indicated his interest for more should this one go to his liking.

It wasn't unusual for the girls here to garner interest of that sort, but the resort was first and foremost a professionally run business, and any deals brokered of that kind were _very_ discreet. Girls involved were given the option to decline, though some welcomed the break from their usual work along with the boost in income; especially if the client happened to be attractive. Sakura had noticed that the owner of the onsen; a middle-aged, portly man known to them as Shimizu-san, looked after his staff a great deal. If the girls didn't want to do any extras, then that was fine. He wouldn't push them into it. And he didn't tolerate any physical or verbal abuse towards any member of staff either. After the dawn meeting Shimizu-san had also let Sakura know that the male guest from the day before had been sent packing. The news brought her some small measure of satisfaction, but it was short lived; the impending evening weighing heavily on her mind.

What Sakura _had_ been surprised by was that Kisame had gone the 'official' route. She had already agreed to the bet directly with him, and so there was no real reason for him to pay for her time. However she accepted the arrangement gratefully as it meant she would finish her normal shift early; giving her time to eat, shower and change. Because of the expensive nature of the 'extras' provided by the onsen and thus far greater profit for the owner, the girl involved had her normal work hours reduced - finishing earlier and starting later the next day. Going the official way also eased Sakura's headache somewhat as there would be no need to rush to eat and get ready after work, sneak to Kisame's room without being seen, and then have to get up early to blunder her way through the crack-of-dawn shift. Her rota had already been generously adjusted, giving her only a couple of two-hour shifts per day from twelve until half four in the afternoon. She narrowed her eyes as she remembered checking the rota for her new hours. Shimizu-san had already adjusted her hours for the next three days, which meant that apart from tonight, Kisame would be here another two nights at least, and that he was planning things as if she'd already lost. The bastard.

Sakura folded a guest's futon and tucked it in the designated cupboard, then straightened, flicking her hair back over her shoulder. She'd left it half down today; only twisting the top layer into a pinned bun and leaving the under layers loose. Morning room cleaning duties were nearly finished, and she relished the idea of her second and final job on the rota - waitressing over the lunch hours. It meant she'd be nice and busy with no time to think and fret about what awaited her that evening.

At least, that's what she'd thought.

He was sitting there, casually. Tucked away in a corner table booth, long denim-clad legs sprawled out in front of him and sipping a cocktail for all the world like he wasn't one of the most wanted S-rank missing nins. She hadn't actually noticed him there when she first started her shift. A good ten minutes had passed before something made her glance into the corner while she whisked an order over to another customer. She nearly dropped the tea tray she was carrying as she did a double take. The bastard even had the balls to salute with his cocktail as he grinned at her, then looked pointedly at the ornately carved clock on the wall. Sakura felt heat suffuse her face and she had to forcibly suppress the urge to bolt like a cornered rabbit - he would probably enjoy that far more than was healthy. Instead, she very deliberately ignored him for the next half an hour or so, and when she dared a quick glance into the corner again he was gone, a drained cocktail glass the only evidence he'd ever been there. She spotted something tucked under the glass and made her way over as soon as she got the chance, curious but wary at the same time. It looked like paper and the thought of him slapping an explosive tag down as a 'surprise' wasn't as far-fetched as she'd like it to be. But as she reached the table she saw he'd actually just left a tip. A large one. Sakura had no doubt that he'd left it specifically for her, but she wadded the notes up in her hand and went over to the small counter that served as a mini-bar, ordering area and staff hub. The only way she could defy him in this matter - aside from throwing the money back at him when she next saw him - was to stuff it in the communal tip pot instead, to be split up between all the restaurant staff at the end of the day. So she did just that. Her lips curved into a satisfied smile at the thought of his money being spread out between her civilian colleagues. The way he was throwing money at her in addition to what he'd already paid made Sakura feel like she was being bought, and that in turn made her uncomfortable.

Sakura continued her shift, slightly disturbed at the fact that a part of her had been disappointed Kisame got up and left, disappointed he wasn't watching her while she went about her shift. She wondered what that made her, if she felt that way about an enemy? Or perhaps it was _because_ he was an enemy that she found it slightly thrilling. Either way, she promised herself she'd get herself booked in to the psych ward once she got home to Konoha. Bad enough feeling this way on a political mission, but if that happened on a mission when her life - and her team's - were on the line... She shuddered to think about it. Yep, she'd definitely get herself checked out. In the meantime she decided to stop psychoanalysing herself, as the findings were somewhat unsettling.

When her shift ended, Sakura had her dinner in the kitchens, then made her way back to the staff house with just over two hours to spare. She took a dip in the hot spring, the heat helping to ease away a small amount of her nervousness. And she _was_ nervous; who wouldn't be? She'd be spending the night with an attractive S-ranked missing-nin while she tried to save her mission by NOT enjoying herself. Sakura sighed and slipped out of the water to wrap a fluffy towel around her body, feet leaving small wet prints on the cool stone as she went into the changing room. As she dried off her reflection caught her eye in the mirror again and she straightened, staring the face that was her-but-not-her in the eyes.

"No pressure," She told the brunette, "What could possibly go wrong?".

Her reflection quirked the corner of her lip up in wry amusement.

She donned a towelling robe and made her way back to her room. In addition to their staff uniform, employees were also given a reasonable selection of traditional formal wear. They were for use mainly when there were private functions on, or on public holidays, but were also good for times like this. She flicked aside a few kimonos in the wardrobe until her hand paused on a dark, royal blue one. She fingered the good quality material, pondering. It would go rather nicely with her current hair colour. Not that she was bothered about dressing up for the sake of it, but a job was a job, and she'd damn well dress the part.

Kisame was turning out to be an anomaly. This was the first time she'd run into him in a non-combat situation, and he'd surprised her by not immediately resorting to violence. From what she knew about him from their encounters and from the Bingo Book, she'd figured he loved fighting and the brutality associated with it. She hadn't imagined that he might actually have a more 'normal' side to him; a side that had him staying in an onsen of all places for his R&R – a decidedly un-violent place for someone with a reputation such as his. She didn't want to think of him as a person. It was much easier if the enemies she was sent on missions to apprehend remained psycho killing machines. And now she was having to spend time with one of those enemies.

She decided to look at it from another angle and see if that helped. She'd done missions of a sexual nature before - as had many of her fellow kunoichis - varying in intensity levels, and all had been with men she'd had to fake attraction to. She could do that side of it, was used to it even. This would be her first experience with the total opposite; trying to act indifferent with a man she was attracted to. Sure, it wasn't a mission per-se, but it was a situation that she hadn't chosen to be in, which in her books was as good as really. It would be good practise for herself, she decided. After all, she'd been paid to do it now too, which meant she could look at it as just another job. She wondered idly for a moment if he'd done that on purpose. There was no mistaking the shrewd intelligence in the man's eyes.

As she padded down the corridor to the guest rooms in her kimono, Sakura willed her inner turmoil down to a more manageable level, though it still felt like all the world's population of butterflies had taken up residence inside her abdomen. All she had to do was meet his challenge head on and win. But even so, how could she let him lay his hands on her and remain unaffected?

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><p><strong>AN - **That's all for this week! Next chapter will be the yellow-hued citrus fruit that many of you have been waiting for. As always, reviews are LOVED. If you have the time and inclination, please do let me know what you liked and/or didn't like. I'm not that insecure that I can't take a bit of critique ;)

Help me grow!

*Points downwards*


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